Slovakia captain explains how they can beat England in Euro 2024 last 16

Milan Skriniar has captained Slovakia to the last 16 (Photo: Getty)

Slovakia captain Milan Skriniar believes his side can pull off a massive shock at Euro 2024 and beat England in the last 16.

The knockout stage of the Euros begins this weekend, with the Three Lions taking on the Falcons on Sunday evening in Gelsenkirchen.

On paper, tournament favourites England should breeze past the side ranked 45th in the world but Gareth Southgate’s team have been a woeful form, winning just one of three group games, scoring only two goals.

Slovakia meanwhile have performed better than expected, stunning Belgium in their opening game before bouncing back from defeat to Ukraine to earn a draw with Romania and qualify for the last 16.

At major tournaments, anything can happen and Skriniar, 29, thinks his side have two key advantages over their rivals which can help them cause one of the biggest upsets in Euros history.

Firstly, the PSG centre-back says the external pressure on England could cause them to crumble: ‘Even in the first match [the 1-0 win over Serbia], they went in with the fact that they are England, and they have to manage things in terms of results.

‘The media and fans [have been critical] after their matches, so they will be under much more pressure than us. It can work in our favour.’

Skriniar will have the task of mashalling Harry Kane (Photo: Getty)

Secondly, the Three Lions have shown a worryingly lack of chemistry on the pitch, with players like Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Declan Rice struggling to replicate their club form and adjust to a change in tactics and positioning.

‘In my opinion, they rely on individual quality and they know that they have players who can decide matches for them,’ Skriniar added.

‘That’s why I think we can handle them through teamwork. I hope and I believe we can beat them.

‘The defensive phase will definitely be important, we have to start defending from the attackers. But the key is to play football.

‘We have to show them that we can play. Let them know that they are up against a team that knows what it wants.’

Slovakia have never beaten England (five losses, one draw), with Skriniar stating that victory on Sunday would be ‘the best result in Slovakian history’.

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